“Where Islands Speak Through Art – From the Heart of the Azores to the Diaspora”

Cosmorama

A monthly scientific, historical, and recreational journal published in Ponta Delgada between November 30, 1882, and March 1868, in 18 issues of 60 pages each. It was printed at Tipografia do Botelho, and the first 12 issues form a volume with an index. Its editor was Francisco Maria Supico, and it featured contributions from prominent figures of Azorean intellectual life, such as Teófilo Ferreira, Augusto Loureiro, A. Andrade de Albuquerque, André António Avelino, Félix José da Costa, José Hermeto Coelho de Amarante, João José da Graça, Mariano José Cabral, and Miguel Street de Arriaga. It is an important source for the cultural history of the Azores, as it published biographies with portraits of illustrious Azoreans, as well as literary works. J. G. Reis Leite (2002)

Mission Statement:

“In the Silence of Hydrangeas: Azorean Arts and Letters” is a weekly digital rubric under the Filamentos platform that seeks to illuminate the cultural, artistic, and literary richness of the Azores and its dynamic connection to the Azorean Diaspora. Each week, we highlight writers, poets, musicians, painters, sculptors, theater groups, and cultural movements that have emerged from or been inspired by this Atlantic archipelago. Our mission is to move beyond folkloric clichés and festive portrayals to reveal the profound creative spirit, complexity, and heritage that shape Azorean identity across generations and oceans.

Vision Statement:

We envision a living archive and vibrant stage where the voices, visions, and legacies of Azorean creators—on the islands and throughout the diaspora—are celebrated, preserved, and made accessible to global audiences. This rubric aims to educate, connect, and inspire by showcasing the Azores not as a distant, nostalgic memory, but as a creative force in continuous dialogue with the world. To know the Azores is not merely to attend a festa, but to listen to the poems etched in basalt, the canvases dyed in sea-light, and the stories whispered in the silence of hydrangeas.

Unveiling the Soul of the Azores – One Voice, One Creation at a Time

We thank the Luso-American Education Foundation for supporting this project.